Beshear to make economic development trip to Germany and Sweden

In his 6th economic development trip to Europe since taking office in 2007 Gov. Steve Beshear will head to Germany and Sweden on Saturday.

Beshear will speak at the international CAR-Symposium in Bochum, Germany, where he will discuss Kentucky’s place as a player in the global car industry. More than a thousand automotive executives from around the world gather for the yearly conference to discuss opportunities for future growth, according to the governor’s office.

“I’m both honored and looking forward to sharing Kentucky’s automotive success story at the CAR-Symposium in Germany,” said Gov. Beshear. “It is my goal to continue to aggressively market the Commonwealth’s many business advantages to the international business community and to build upon the momentum that we have cultivated. This is a great opportunity to showcase Kentucky to some of the top auto executives in the world.”

During the five-day trip, Beshear and members of the Cabinet for Economic Development executive staff, plan to pitch Kentucky’s business-friendly climate to potential new businesses and strengthen existing ties with European companies already operating in the Commonwealth.

“We are seeing more and more European companies making the decision to locate or expand their current operations in Kentucky,” said Cabinet for Economic Development Secretary Larry Hayes. “This trip will allow us to personally build on those relationships and show why Kentucky is the ideal location for their business needs.”

European companies are investing in the state, with more than 170 European facilities located in Kentucky, employing more than 27,000 people. In 2014, nearly 15 percent of new investment in the Commonwealth came from European-owned businesses. International trade between Kentucky and Europe topped $16 billion last year, according to a press release.

Beshear is scheduled to return to Kentucky Feb. 5.

Nick Storm

Nick Storm is the Anchor and Managing Editor of Pure Politics available exclusively on Spectrum News. Pure Politics is the only nightly program dedicated to Kentucky politics. Nick covers all of the political heavyweights and his investigative work brings to light issues that might otherwise go unnoticed, like his coverage of the backlog of DNA rape kits waiting to be tested in Kentucky. Nick is also working on a feature length bio documentary Outlaw Poet: A documentary on Ron Whitehead. Pure Politics airs weeknight at 7 and 11:30 on Spectrum News. Follow Nick on Twitter @NStorm_Politics. Nick can be reached at 502-792-1107 or nicholas.storm@charter.com.